If you would like to be entered to the prize draw please add your email. I will use the email for no other purposes unless you have expressly given me your permission elsewhere.

Submit

Loading ...

The Prizes for everyone

I will post a poll on 16th, and for a week you can answer a very simple poll question. If you enter your email when prompted I will enter you for the prize draw (I will use the email you provide for no other purpose than getting in touch with you; if you don’t want to be entered but do want to do the poll, just leave it blank). There are three prizes:

‘The Crown of Blood’ by Nicola Tallis – an excellent and thoroughly enjoyable life of Lady Jane which I used in the making of this programme. Donated and signed by Nicola herself.

Paper blossoms – Michal recently got in touch; she’s a listener, and she creates paper art. She happened to be making some blossoms using the pages of of The History of England by W.E. Lunt – published in 1928 I believe – so she thought of us. So she offered one of the pieces you can see in the picture as a prize. You can also go to Michal’s Paper Blossoms’ website if you like the idea.

Coin! – A long time ago, Robertson of this parish was lovely enough to offer me some coins. This is the last of them – a George V Thruppenny bit and very nice it is. Thank you Robertson

Post navigation

9 thoughts on “Rebel Queen: The Poll”

Wow there’s alot going on all over the HOE and that’s great. Did the poll come out yesterday? I see dates for the 9th and 16th! On top of all the podcasts I am reading Thomas Cromwell a revolutionary life and wow its deep! Merry Christmas and thanks for all you do.

I enjoy/am frustrated by the polls because it seems like I want to vote 55% one way 35% a second way and maybe the last 10% is another choice or something completely different. I chose “the refusal of England” but really Edward killed her. I appreciate your argument that Edward’s Devise was lawful. (I want to know the facts.) But, it’s complete arrogance on his part that he thought he could dictate that without putting in any leg work to bring the people around. I get that arrogance and monarchy has a lot of overlap in those Venn Diagrams, but that’s also what got people killed.

You are of course absolutely right about the poll – it’s clearly as you say a combination. I think you are a little harsh on Edward though; after all dying can get in the way of doing a good promotional job! Though I take the point he could have done more while he was alive; though again he was very ill.

I wonder if “Mary and her councilors” oughtn’t be an option. I still blame Dudley most of all, but Mary had a pretty clear choice about leaving Jane alive and still have into the calls for her blood. (Elizabeth would be rather more lenient with Mary Queen of Scots later on; it ultimately took the latter’s actual involvement in the schemes to sign her death warrant.)

Also, for that matter, Jane’s council was pretty responsible. If they’d initially refused to go along with the Devise entirely or stuck with her more firmly when they backed it, it could have turned out quite differently.

Yes, good point; if I’m getting judgy, the Council come out of it looking less than impressive! I think Mary did at least try to avoid executing Jane; she was under enormous pressure from her Spanish advisers to do so.

Wow. That’s a really impressive question. My instant response was, ‘Oh, Northumberland, obviously…’ and then my mind said, ‘But if Queen Mary’s rebellion hadn’t…’ and then ‘…but the English didn’t accept her either.’ So a lot less straightforward than it first seemed. I went for Northumberland in the end, because I think he could have handled it very differently and, whilst he wasn’t in the first place with the Devise, he certainly influenced its later form – and could, perhaps, have stopped Jane being named heir. It depends, I think, on how we view the depth of his conviction to Protestantism (which would have made him push harder for Jane), but his pre-execution conversion suggests that his dedication to the cause was less than full. So power it probably was. But excellent question.

I love this stuff, you just couldn’t make it up. Thank you so much for putting life into it.
At such a distance it is difficult to understand their complexities.
But, these people were surely really smart, especially at politics and relationships which formed such a large part of their lives. Getting to the top and staying at the top for any amount of time must have required diligent networking, large numbers of social contacts (that would put our social media friend count to shame) and wide hierarchies of allegiances. So it would seem possible if not probable that Northumberland could anticipate and plan for all the possible outcomes associated with Edward, including his options regarding succession, even before the King himself did. Putting one of his many offspring in the path of Lady Jane seems mere prudence when considered in that light, like putting one small bet on double-zero when your main play is on Red in roullette. Of course he does seem to have blundered in a major way by not securing Princess Mary, but maybe that is hubris.
So I vote Northumberland’s plotting.
Once the game was afoot Mary’s rebellion was always a possibility, albeit she showed unexpected backbone and courage. The traditionalist commoners would predictably back Mary, especially if the alternative was in any way associated with the hated executioner of the well-liked Protector. Mary’s instinct is to clemency for Jane but her evil councillors force her hand, especially when Jane’s father is involved in attempted rebellion, but Jane would surely have been a lightening rod for future protestant plots anyway.
Jane’s councillors must have been weak or very disliking of Northumberland and his methods to evaporate so quickly. A bit of backbone there would have made a huge difference. But surely Northumberland would have known they could turn wouldn’t he? So why ride of to chase Mary and leave them with the freedom to vaccilate? Should have sent Pembroke or someone else competent.
So all in all it is like a game of consequences, with the root of it all being Northumberland, not that he did anything his peer’s wouldn’t have also done given half a chance.